My husband and I were tossing the idea around of trying to escape for a night or the weekend on Valentine’s Day – we’re still up in the air with what we want to do, but I did some research and found a nice winter weekend getaway…

in Montauk!

I know, I know…Montauk in the winter?! Yep…it’s empty and it’s heavenly: there’s no problem getting a dinner reservation, no one else on the beach and…it’s affordable! Stay at the Montauk Manor, an 80-year-old national landmark, and you’ll feel like you’ve crashed a party in a romance novel set in the 1920s.

Montauk Manor is a brown-and-white English Tudor resort. The lobby looks exactly like it did when it first opened: giant chandeliers dangle from high ceilings, rounded arches frame cozy, couch-filled nooks, and potted palm trees line the slate floor. It is easy to imagine the wealthy couples who indulged in ballroom dancing and lazy games of croquet back in the day.

Montauk Manor hosts condo apartments and hotel rooms ranging from studios to three-bedroom suites. During peak months—August and September—a one-bedroom suite costs more than $300 a night, but from October to March rooms start at $125! That includes Valentine’s Day…

Getting there isn’t difficult either – especially since the LIRR isn’t PACKED on the weekends in the winter. For about $40 round-trip, you can take the train and ask the manor to pick you up!

Couples keen on staying in all weekend have plenty (besides each other) to explore on premises: the apartment-like rooms are decked out with TVs and DVD players (you can pick up free movies at the front desk), and many have full-size kitchens, patios and views of Gardiners Bay. The manor hosts an indoor pool and a hot tub and sauna. Active types can explore the squash and tennis courts or gym; not-so-active types can play shuffleboard or read by one of the fires in the lobby.

Though most restaurants in the Hamptons close for the winter, the hotel has a list of year-round dining options on hand. The simplest thing would be to book a meal at Breakwater Cafe—located on the ground floor of the hotel. You can try a lunch or sunset dinner at the new Inlet Seafood(541 E Lake Dr, 631-668-4272), which has a separate sushi bar.

In town, Deborah Thompson Day Spa, located above Barnacle Books, is decorated like a Moroccan lair, complete with antique couches and some crazy-looking lamps—though Thompson will also come to the hotel (Swedish massage, $110 for 60 min).

If we decide to leave the city for the weekend for a romantic getaway – whether it be Valentine’s Day or any other weekend before the end of March, I think Montauk will be at the top of our list… ♥

6 responses to “Montauk Manor – winter weekend getaway”

hi, I am thinking about doing something similar soon and am researching online but it is hard to imagine Montauk in winter… I would love to know your experience once you have returned, how you found Inlet to be, the quality of food and ambiance etc. Rather than the manor, I am considering Gurney’s Inn, however, only because they have rooms right on the ocean but I have also read some bad reviews… Have fun and let us know what you find there in the winter…

Hi, I am considering doing something similar in a few weeks and would LOVE to hear about your experience…which activities you found for yourselves and how you like Inlet, etc! Montauk in winter is hard to imagine and I am worried that we might be bored to death…am looking at Gurney’s however only because it is right on the ocean, although I have read some bad reviews… Thanks, looking forward to more post on this once you have returned…

Well…Montauk is definitely not the same in the winter as it is in the summer, but I think that if you resist trying to compare the two experiences, the winter offers a ton of relaxation and the perfect quick getaway. I enjoy the spa, dinners, and just relaxing for once. I don’t like to fill up my weekends away with tons of activities since my weekdays are so hectic in the city. I hope you DO take a trip!